


Seawater Kiss

by transparentTemptation



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Beaches, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Hawaii, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, rescue romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-17
Updated: 2018-05-08
Packaged: 2019-01-18 12:22:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12387990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/transparentTemptation/pseuds/transparentTemptation
Summary: Peridot goes on a romantic, Hawaiian getaway for one, but she may find more than just tourist traps and difficult reminders of the past.





	1. Delicate

“Now boarding group B on Flight 734 to Honolulu.”

Peridot tossed her phone charger into the backpack covered in little aliens she carried and made her way to the line gathering before the jetway. A tall blonde woman bumped past her, which earned an angry glare and silent curses. She shuffled her way through the line, wordlessly giving her boarding pass to the gate agent at the end.

“Have a nice flight,” she said as she handed the pass back.

Peridot nearly responded “You too,” before catching herself, managing instead a simple “Thanks.”

On the plane, people were occupying both aisles as they attempted to stuff their ridiculously-sized bags into the overhead bins. Peridot deftly slipped through the crowd to her seat. However, her small size proved less useful for lifting her suitcase into the compartments. If only her stupid, cloddy girlfriend-

Ex-girlfriend. She was still getting used to that part. And if her _ex-_ girlfriend were there, she would probably just laugh as Peridot struggled to get her bag far enough above her head to stow it away.

After no small amount of grunting and cursing, she managed the task and took her seat, 24D. It was in the center of the plane, so she would miss the view on arrival, but at least it was an aisle seat. A balding man wearing a brown jacket with obnoxious sunglasses perched on his forehead was already sitting in 24E, talking to the young guy next to him about “the biz.”

“Listen, kid, you’re no Starchild, but with me as your manager, you just may be the next best thing.” Peridot put her earbuds in to tune out his ramblings, annoyed that he hadn’t offered any help when he could very easily hear her exasperated swearing. But, in his defense, neither had anyone else. She slid her backpack under the seat in front of her and sighed.

Miscellaneous butts and elbows bumped into her as the rest of the flight boarded. The safety demonstration played in unison on all the seatback screens as flight attendants wandered the aisles buckling and unbuckling seat belts. The whole display was much less terrifying with the “If we crash in water… if we crash on land… if the entire plane disintegrates in the sky…” replaced by the sound of Peridot’s music.

 

_So why do you fill my sorrow_

_With the words you've borrowed_

_From the only place you've known_

_And why do you sing Hallelujah_

_If it means nothing to you_

_Why do you sing with me at all?_

 

She was listening to her breakup playlist for the ninth time that week. With the vacation being so close, Peridot was thinking of Amethyst almost constantly. They had bought the tickets months ago, planning a romantic Hawaii getaway that they both had saved up for.

Then, Amethyst broke up with her just a few weeks before the trip without even giving a straightforward reason.

 

“Look, it’s just- I- I’m sorry.” (“I don’t understand why you’re doing this,” Peridot had responded.)

...

“Baby, it’s not gonna work.” (“Don’t call me that.”)

...

“Promise you won’t hate me?” (No response.)

 

Amethyst had cancelled her plane ticket the week before. By the time she broke up with Peridot, it was too late to cancel the other, and Amethyst knew it.

 

“Peri, you deserve a vacation. I’m sure you’ll have a much better time without me anyways.”

 

She seriously doubted that but found herself on a plane to Honolulu anyways. As sleep began to settle in her mind, she tried to push away the thought of Amethyst. It was _her_ vacation now, after all.

 

\---

 

Peridot awoke a few hours later to the sound of the seatbelts sign turning on. The pilot’s voice crackled through the intercom.

“Passengers, please remain seated, as we’re about to encounter some heavy turbulence.”

 _Great,_ she thought, unbuckling her seatbelt anyways. Rough clouds be damned, she needed to use the bathroom after her nap. A flight attendant walking down the aisle gave her a sideways glance as she stood up, but offered no other complaint. _Probably doesn’t get paid enough to care._

Peridot managed to get to the bathroom and all the way through washing her hands with only a few light bumps. She paused after unlocking the door, appreciating the way the dim blue lighting hid her least favorite features, before the plane shook violently, nearly throwing her backwards onto the toilet seat. Her seat was only a few rows up, so if she hurried before the next bump…

The plane shook again as she fast-walked up the aisle and she was thrown off her unstable footing onto the lap of a now very annoyed old lady.

“Oh my stars, I’m so sorry!” Peridot half-shouted as she picked herself up. The lady didn’t respond, merely brushing her lap as if to say, “You disgust me.”

Officially, eternally mortified, Peridot finally made it to her seat, fastening the seatbelt she should have left on to begin with. She tapped the screen in front of her, briefly pondered if she could connect her laptop to hack the entire entertainment system, and navigated to the flight map. A map of the Pacific appeared with a clipart plane on a line traced between Los Angeles and Honolulu. It was almost five p.m. in California; the plane was set to land in two hours, at around four Hawaii time. Peridot yawned and hoped that her nap may help her avoid being too jetlagged.

She didn’t have much faith that it would.

 

\---

 

“Please fasten your seatbelts, as we are about to begin our final descent into Honolulu.”

The rest of the flight had passed uneventfully, with Peridot playing mobile games she forgot were on her phone as she listened to her playlist, lulling her into a trance-like state of detachment and miscellaneous regrets. The only thing that broke her stupor was a form she had to fill out verifying she was not bringing in contraband plants that would “disturb the delicate beauty of the islands” and the pretty brunette flight attendant offering her water. Her hair looked remarkably similar to Amethyst’s before she-

_No._

She would not dwell on her ex while on vacation. She would not think about how one day Amethyst’s soft, brown curls had been replaced with vibrant lavender-

_Dammit._

The plane dipped below the clouds and tilted steeply as it circled around. Peridot gazed out the window across the aisle, now looking down onto the island. The deep blue of the ocean faded into aqua as it reached the shore, with the white foam of waves crashing against beaches and cliffs. The large crater nestled along one shore was dwarfed by the sharp mountain range that carved its way along the middle of the island, standing tall enough, it seemed, to capture clouds as they drifted by.

It was the picturesque image of a tropical paradise. Which, Peridot supposed, is because nearly everyone considered it to be _the_ tropical paradise. After all, that’s why her and Amethyst had planned this stereotypical trip to begin with.

Peridot pulled her backpack into her lap as the plane landed with a bump, gradually crawling along the runway before finally coming to a stop in a gate. The seatbelt sign dinged for its last time of the flight and the pilot’s voice came over the intercom.

“Aloha, welcome to Hawaii! You may now stand and retrieve your bags from the overhead containers. And, from all of us in your flight crew, mahalo. We hope you enjoy your time on the island.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it comes across that I've been on a LOT of planes in my life...
> 
> Buckle up, because I have this fic actually mostly planned out (and more than one chapter written!) Chapter 2 will come soon, and hopefully I can keep a once-weekly posting schedule for new chapters.


	2. Waves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is super late (I kept forgetting to post) and short, sorry! Hit a writing slump and got anxious, but chapter 3 is done, unless I decide to merge it with 4. Friday updates going forward, maybe? Or Sunday. Time will tell!

Peridot finally made it to her hotel room at about half after five, following a nearly literal crash course in just how bad Hawaii traffic can be. She had tipped the taxi driver generously for putting up with her terribly awkward small talk and was already feeling as though the trip was too expensive. Her first view of the lavish, beachfront hotel room that was costing her well over two hundred dollars a night only drove that feeling home. Pristine white furniture adorned the expansive room, with only a few splashes of color in the couch cushions and plants scattered throughout. A bottle of wine was resting in a bucket of ice on the coffee table; the two glasses next to it made it clear that the room was intended for a couple’s stay.

Sighing, Peridot flopped onto the couch and got out her laptop. She opened her email - which she had promised herself she wouldn’t do while on vacation, but old habits die hard - to find a handful of junk emails and one from a sender identified only as “Yellow.” Running her fingers through her hair nervously, she clicked it.

 

_ Peridot, _

_ I have a job for you. _

 

_ Signed, _

_ Yellow _

 

It took her far too long to compose the one-sentence response:

 

_ You know I don’t do that kind of work anymore. _

_ Peridot _

 

She closed her laptop, deciding that was enough email for one day. The brilliant view of the ocean out the window beckoned her out onto the balcony. A warm breeze tousled her short blonde hair as she gazed out on the shimmer of evening sun on the waves, making its slow descent towards the horizon. Peridot was  _ not  _ going to let her first day in Hawaii slip into night so easily, with her in the hotel room feeling sorry for herself. She was on this trip now, and god dammit, she was going to enjoy it. 

The strong AC of her hotel room seemed almost uncomfortable as she stepped off of the warm balcony. She barely remembered to close the blinds as she disrobed, replacing her shirt and shorts with a modest green bikini she had bought specifically for this trip. Amethyst had encouraged her to get a more revealing one, but now that she was alone on an island entirely foreign to her, she was glad she didn’t. In an effort to cover up more, she slipped on a large t-shirt, usually reserved for sleeping, over her swimsuit. She tossed her phone and room key into a waterproof pouch which she slipped around her neck and a beach towel in a tote bag over her shoulder. After a brief struggle with the straps of her sandals, she was prepared for the beach.

The walk to the main beachfront was about ten minutes. Peridot supposed she would start to get a feel for the city on the way, but mostly she just passed a dozen souvenir shops and about as many people begging for money. The first few received a, “Sorry, I don’t have any on me.” The later ones she simply “ignored,” hastily looking away when they made eye contact.

Rather disappointingly, the main beach area only differed from the rest in that it was split by a pier in the middle and had significantly more people. The right side, protected from larger waves by a sea wall, mostly had children splashing around in the shallow water, so Peridot opted for the left. She dropped her bag in a clear spot on the beach and yawned, the warm sand beneath her feet tempting her to lay down and take a nap. If she wanted to sleep though, she could have done that in the relative comfort of her hotel room, not on a public beach. The chatter from fellow beachgoers would probably prevent her from doing so anyways. She stripped her shirt off - also something she didn’t particularly want to do in public - and made her way down the beach, into the water. 

The warmth surprised her; it wasn’t nearly as cold as in California. Peridot slipped into the water pleasantly, swimming slightly as the waves rolled in to keep her head above the surface. Soon, her feet could no longer touch the bottom and she swam out, the sounds of people on the beach drowned out by the waves breaking around her. She briefly pondered just how far she could swim - living by the beach had given her ample chance to become a strong swimmer. Looking back to shore, despite the bustle of people on the now-distant streets, it seemed serene. Palm trees lined the beach, and behind them stood towering buildings against a backdrop of the mountains and a near-perfectly clear sky. Of all places to be for a couple weeks, this was likely among the best.

In her appreciation of the island she was drifting farther away from, Peridot failed to notice the next set of large waves coming in until one broke against the back of her head, leaving her coughing as she inhaled water rather than air. She turned to face the waves and the next hit before she could get more than a gasping breath, knocking her beneath the surface and into the undertow. Saltwater burned her eyes as she desperately looked for the light of the surface. Half-swimming, half-flailing, she uselessly fought against the current trapping her beneath the sea. The surface was getting no closer and her limbs tired more with each passing second. A pounding grew in her head and she tried to maintain consciousness, but the lack of oxygen was causing her perception to grow fainter.

The last thing she remembered was a sharp burning as she took an involuntary breath of water, then a flash of blue and a hand gripping her wrist.


	3. Blue-Haired Angel

Peridot’s chest was on fire, her head pounding. She couldn’t open her eyes, her body only allowed her sensation. Something wet was pressed against her lips; it tasted like saltwater.

_ Saltwater. _

Her chest burned more at the thought. She coughed once, twice, three times, her body cold and pains stabbing each time, before taking a ragged breath and unconsciously opening her eyes. The sunlight, despite beginning to dim into pinks and oranges, seemed bright and disorienting.

A figure above her slowly came into focus. A girl with tan skin and deep blue eyes was leaning over her, breathing heavily. Her blue hair was messy and wet, occasionally dripping onto the sand, or Peridot beneath her. She was saying something - at least, she must have been. Her mouth was moving, but Peridot couldn’t nearly process what she was saying. 

Rather, Peridot’s mouth took her first coherent thoughts (“I’m dead, I must be dead, this is it.” and “She’s beautiful.”) and ran with them. “Are you an angel?” she said weakly.

The girl laughed, her soft cheeks creasing with dimples. “Oh thank god, you’re okay!”

Peridot’s face flushed red before the memories came rushing back. The beach, the waves, a pain in her chest, and then the purple-haired clod that was the reason she was in this situation in the first place. Her body wracked with coughs again. “I… More or less.” Taking her eyes off the blue-haired “angel” above her, she noticed a small crowd of people standing a short distance away, looking at her in various states of disbelief and shock. “Um… why are they…?”

“Well, you did cause quite the scene when you tried to drown out there.”

“Oh, yeah… can you tell them I’m okay? Their staring is making me uncomfortable.”

“Sure thing,  _ ku‘uipo. _ ” She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, “She’s okay everyone!”

The crowd sighed in relief, and a guy with bleach-blond hair shouted, “You were awesome!” The blue-haired girl flashed him a thumbs up as they dispersed and then turned back to Peridot.

“I think an ambulance is probably still on the way.”

Peridot’s body felt cold again. “A- an ambulance? No. No, no way. I’m not getting on an ambulance.”

“Hey, don’t worry. You seem to be fine, just tell them you’re good.”

She let go of a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. “Okay… Oh, thank you. For, you know, saving me.”

“All in a day’s work. But, you really shouldn’t go swimming by yourself so far out. I won’t always be there to swoop in and rescue you.”

“What were you doing out there then?”

“Swimming by myself, but  _ I’m  _ not the one who nearly drowned.” She grinned mischievously, but her eyes betrayed a sense of relief. “I’m Lapis, by the way. Lapis Lazuli.”

“Peridot Volkova.” She extended her hand.

“A handshake? How formal!” Lapis chuckled, before taking her hand and shaking it. “I thought we were way past that,” she added with a wink.

“Wait, what?”

“Well, I had to resuscitate you, so…”

_ Oh.  _ Peridot’s cheeks went bright red. That would explain the feeling on her lips when she came to. She was about to stammer out a response when a siren pierced the air. Soon enough, an ambulance roared up to the beach. Lapis waved over the paramedics who got out of the back.

One of them, a lanky brunet guy, addressed Lapis, “This is her?”

“Yeah, she came around a couple minutes ago.”

The other, a shorter, blonde woman, kneeled next to Peridot. “How do you feel?” she asked.

“Oh, um, perfect! Yeah, I’m fi-” Another series of pain-inducing coughs overtook her lungs.

“David, we should probably take her vitals.”

“No! I mean, that’s not necessary. Really, I’m alright,” Peridot assured her.

“Do you feel faint or dizzy? Any pain?”

She shook her head no, wincing at how it worsened her headache.

The paramedic cast a suspicious glance at her coworker, but conceded and stood up. “If you insist…”

“You ladies have a nice night,” David said as they left.

Lapis smiled. “Thank you!”

Peridot only sighed.

Lapis looked back at Peridot. “So, Volkswagen, think you can get up?”

“It’s Volkova, that’s not even the right language. But, um, I think so…”

“Need some help?” She put her hand on Peridot’s.

“Y- yeah, thanks.”

She grabbed Peridot’s hand and stood up. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

Almost immediately after Lapis pulled her up, Peridot’s vision went black and she staggered forward into Lapis’ arms, the blue-haired girl preventing her from falling.

“Whoa, you okay!?”

Slowly, the world faded back in. “Yeah, I just got up too fast, I guess.”

With Lapis supporting her, Peridot was made very aware of the height discrepancy between the two of them. Peridot was several inches shorter; the top of her head barely reached Lapis’ ear. She pulled away, confident in her ability to stand on her own and flustered by the near-embrace of her savior.

Lapis smiled, the left side of her mouth turned up slightly more than the right.

_ Oh stars. _ Peridot felt as though she could pass out again just from witnessing that. Instead, though, her stomach just rumbled a loud complaint.

“Hungry?” Lapis asked.

“Dear god, yes. I honestly don’t remember the last time I ate.”

“You went swimming without eating anything?”

“What else was I supposed to do? Eat right before and then get devoured by leeches?”

Lapis chuckled, “Leeches?”

“Uh, it was just something ridiculous from this book I read as a kid,” Peridot said, rubbing the back of her neck.

“Well, I promise you, the waters here are leech-free.”

“Thanks for the reassurance.”

“Swimming out so far  _ and  _ on an empty stomach… you really do need me to be there to save you.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. The mistakes pile doesn’t stop from getting taller.”

“It’s not all bad, though. After all, you met me!”

“That…” A shy smile crossed Peridot’s lips, “...that is true.”

“Now come on! I’m gonna show you,” Lapis pulled Peridot, now blushing, in by the shoulder and gestured dramatically towards the beachfront with her other hand, “the best damn burger on this entire island.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ku'uipo means sweetheart in Hawaiian ^u^
> 
> Woooo and that's all I have written! This chapter was gonna be longer, but I've been in a funk for a while and didn't write it, so what would be the latter part of chapter 3 will be chapter 4. Also, I'm kinda behind on my coursework, so chapter 4 will probably be delayed. I promise I am not going to abandon this fic though!


	4. Dinner Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on chapter 4, I hit some writer's block (what else is new, right?) Hopefully chapter 5 will be out next Friday!

“O- okay. Wait, shit,” Peridot patted her hips, as if checking nonexistent pockets, “I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t have my wallet on me.”

Lapis chuckled, “C’mon, I’ll pay.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’ll take an ‘IOU one dinner date.’” She nudged Peridot with her elbow.

“Oh, uh, okay."

“Great!” Lapis said, already turning away. “Lemme grab my bag and we can go, it’s not far.” 

Peridot found her own bag where she left it. Someone had kicked sand into it, and she got sand in her eyes shaking her shirt clean. Once sufficiently - though not entirely - sand-free, she put it on, muttering curses at whoever had gotten her stuff dirty and the concept of sand in general, and placed the bag on her shoulder.

Lapis was walking up from a short distance away, a drawstring bag across her back, barely visible with the setting sun behind her. She grinned when she reached Peridot. “You look like a tourist.”

“I  _ am  _ a tourist.”

“I know, it’s a good look for you.”

“Thanks?”

“Ready to go?”

“Yep.”

“Let’s go then!”

The first part of their walk went by with neither of them talking. Lapis seemed comfortable leading the way silently, smiling as the gentle wind ruffled her blue locks, but Peridot was desperate for something to say.

She spotted a sign for the Honolulu Zoo on the opposite side of the street. “Oh, there’s a zoo here?” The words fell out of her mouth even though she found about the zoo while researching the island.

“Yeah, you didn’t know? Well, the aquarium is where it’s at anyways.”

Peridot knew about the aquarium, too. “Oh, is it nearby?”

“Yeah, just past the zoo. It’s kinda small, but it’s beautiful.”

“Maybe you could show me some time.”  _ Wait, does that sound like I’m asking her out?  _ “If- if it’s no trouble, of course!”

Lapis smiled at Peridot. “That sounds nice. Also, we’re here!”

The restaurant Lapis had taken them to was nestled beside the lobby of a hotel which boastfully called itself the “Waikiki Grand Hotel” despite looking like extremely generic. The sign on the front read “Teddy’s Bigger Burgers,” and Peridot couldn’t help but feel like everything on this island was trying to one-up everything else. The inside had a 50s diner vibe, with a checkerboard pattern adorning the counter, colored tiles scattered along the ceiling, and light-up signs on the wall proclaiming “BURGERS” and “FRIES” interrupting the neon trim that ran around the restaurant.

It was charming but, combined with the noise of the other customers’ voices, slightly overwhelming. Peridot clutched her head and groaned, her headache suddenly making itself known again.

Lapis grabbed her gently by the shoulders. “Whoa, are you okay?”

“Yeah… yeah, just my head.”

“Here, go sit down, I’ll order. What do you want?”

“Just get me whatever’s good.”

“That’s everything, but I’ll get ya the best.”

Peridot made her way to the back of the dining area, trying to ignore the bright yellow neon of “LUNCH” and “DINNER” on the wall. She absentmindedly watched the people flowing in and out of the restaurant from the doors that opened to the hotel lobby until the pounding in her head forced her to close her eyes for a reprieve, leaving her thoughts as the least pain-provoking thing to focus on for once.

_ At least I didn’t drown, thanks to Lapis… _

_ Why does she seem so interested in me anyways? _

_ Does she like me? _

_ I hope- no, I’m getting carried away. I don’t even know if she’s gay! _

She put her head into her hands and sighed.  _ C’mon Peridot, you can’t fall for every cute girl who looks at you. _

Something in her head quickly added,  _ “Watch me,”  _ as she glanced up to see Lapis approaching, two burgers, fries, and drinks on a tray in her hand.

“Whoa, you-”  _ Ugh, fuck Freud and him being right.  _ “-those look incredible.”

“They’re an island specialty. You doing alright?” Lapis said as she sat down.

“Yeah, just tired, I guess.”

“Side effect of almost dying?”

“Most likely.” Peridot picked out a small fry and ate it. “Wow.”

“It’s good, right? And you haven’t even tried the burger yet.”

Lapis was right, and multiple hours of not eating were catching up with Peridot. She quickly ate a handful of fries and took a gulp of water to wash down the salty flavor.

As soon as the cool liquid touched her tongue, she squeezed her eyes shut, her breathing growing ragged. The waves were on her skin again, the current dragging her further and further down, the saltwater encompassing her. She breathed in deeply, desperate for air, and coughed as the water touched the back of her throat. Forcefully, she swallowed; goosebumps coated her skin. When she opened her eyes, Lapis was staring at her.

An imperceptible look was on her face. Confusion, shock, concern?  _ Fuck. _

“Are you okay??”

Peridot struggled for a response. Lapis knew what happened, Lapis  _ saved  _ her, she could-

“Yeah, I just... got a bit choked.”

-tell Lapis what was wrong.  _ Or not. _

Lapis looked entirely unconvinced, but let it slide, answering only with a simple, “Oh, okay,” and taking a bite of her burger.

Peridot did the same and discovered a slight fruity taste. “Does this have pineapple on it?” she said, trying to bring some normalcy back to their dinner.

“Yep!”

“Wow, pineapple on a hamburger, I never would have thought of that.”

“That’s the beauty of Hawaii, there are so many things here you’d never find anywhere else.” The sparkle in her eyes made Peridot want to discover them all.

It also told her she’d already found one in Lapis Lazuli.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY FOR THE HUGE DELAY ON CHAPTER 5. I AM WORKING ON IT I PROMISE! - 2017/12/8


	5. Bottle of Wine

The rest of the meal passed with Lapis telling Peridot all about Hawaii - the staircase to the highest peak on Oahu, the lava flows on the big island, a seemingly endless number of beaches that were just  _ too beautiful  _ to pass up (even if, as far as Peridot assumed, most beaches looked about the same.) Her ‘oohing’ and ‘ahhing’ was answered with Lapis offering to show nearly everything to her, which, of course, sounded “amazing”, “incredible”, “fantastic”, and other words that roughly translated to, “Yes, please Lapis, I am so gay for you.”

They left the restaurant to the sight of the sun setting, oranges and pinks painting the sky and dark shadows of palm trees painting the ground like a canvas.

“Wow,” were the only words Peridot could manage.

“Beautiful, isn’t it? Hey, let’s get closer.”

She absolutely did not want to go near the ocean again... but, for the entrancing blue-haired girl already walking that direction, she could make an exception. Silently, they walked down the street as the nighttime lights of the city flickered on, not yet able to overcome the sun and cast their bizarre, bright shadows. The pair settled down on a patch of grass by the edge of the beach, city sounds fading into the background of their thoughts.

The fading light of the sun glinted off the lazy waves. Peridot drew in - and held - a sharp breath at the sight of the water. A hand squeezed her own tightly, the skin soft and smooth; she released the breath she was holding, but Lapis’ hand did not leave. Rather, it traced light circles on the back of hers as the sun slipped beyond the horizon.

Without the heat of the sun and in their scant apparel, the slight wind was chilly, and Peridot pulled her knees up to her chest in an attempt to hold onto her warmth.

“Cold?” Lapis asked.

“A bit.”

“I can walk you back to your hotel; it’s getting dark.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll be fine. Where’re you staying?”

“The, uh… Moana.”

“Oh, that’s not far from here. C’mon.” She stood, helping Peridot up before letting go of her hand.

Peridot immediately missed the small embrace.

As they walked, Lapis told Peridot about the shops across the street: predominately tourist traps, but a handful worth visiting. Apparently the hat store was a must-visit, even though Lapis didn’t strike her as the hat type.

Sooner than either expected, the dramatic pillars of the hotel entrance stood in front of them. Peridot felt a small pang that they were about to part-

“Do you think I can come up to your room with you?” Lapis spoke quiet, slow… sultry, perhaps? Did she want to-?

No, no, Peridot had to be projecting. Well, projecting would imply that  _ Peridot _ wanted to. Not that she would say no, necessarily, but stars, she just met Lapis!

Needless to say, her thoughts got very carried away in the instant between the question and when she said, “Wha? Oh, yeah, of course,” with a quick, nervous smile. Her bashfulness didn’t seem to phase Lapis in the slightest, who eagerly followed her up the elevator.

“Whoa, hey, not bad,” was Lapis’ first reaction to the room.

Peridot unceremoniously dumped her beach bag onto the floor. “Not bad? This is the most luxurious room I’ve ever stayed in.”

She took another look around. “Psh, it doesn’t even have a hot tub.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“Mostly.” Lapis smirked. “It does, however, have a bottle of wine.”

“You want it? I don’t really drink.”

“Don’t  _ really,  _ meaning you do  _ kind of? _ ”

“I suppose…”

“Let’s split it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah! I mean, if you want me to leave or-”

“No!” It came out a bit more forcefully than Peridot intended. “You- you can stay. I like having you around.” And  _ that  _ came out a bit more sappy than Peridot intended; if she hadn’t quickly turned to her suitcase, she may have noticed Lapis blushing too. “You can figure out how to open it while I shower.”

“Can I borrow some clothes? I feel a bit underdressed.”

Peridot was surprised at how bold Lapis could be despite having just met. “Uh, yeah, sure.” She quickly produced a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt from her suitcase. “...do you need underwear?”

“I’ll go without.”

“O- okay. Here.” Peridot handed her the folded clothes and added, “I won’t take long,” before scampering off to the bathroom.

_ Oh stars, oh stars, oh stars, oh stars... _

She looked at herself in the mirror, hands pressed into her cheeks, and let out a heavy breath. “Calm down, Peridot,” she murmured to herself. “There’s just an insanely attractive girl not wearing underwear and waiting to drink wine with you. Just a normal part of a normal day of a normal vacation.”

Somehow, her little pep talk did not quell her anxiety. At the very least, her anxious energy allowed her to shower in record time, wanting to face whatever may happen once she was done as soon as possible. She wasn’t sure which idea made her more nervous: that Lapis wouldn’t be there when she was done, or that she would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M BACK BITCHES  
> I've actually had this written for months and just realized it was a perfectly good chapter without adding any more.  
> Please don't hate me.


End file.
